At the sight of them, so comfortable and at ease, her heart burst with love for them.
Now, she could relax. Now, she could enjoy herself because wherever these five were, she was home. And home was all she needed to handle anything life threw at her.
Even impromptu ‘meet the family’ visits to Moscow.
Andrei came to a stop behind her, and pulling her hair aside, he pressed a kiss to her throat. “Good to be home?”
She shot him a look, astonished that he’d read her mind. He just smiled, and like that, her world fell into place.
Sascha pressed a hand to her stomach, a smile blossoming on her face at how perfect this moment was. “Guys,” she said huskily. “I have something to tell you…”
“Babies crap a lot,” Devon blurted out.
Sascha stifled a giggle. “No. You don’t say.”
He frowned. The giggle said she was teasing, but… “They do,” he tried warning her again. Adding, “A lot. Sawyer’s cousin Jenna keeps having them. Jacinta makes us go to the christenings.”
“So?”
“So, I see them crap a lot.”
“What? In the actual ceremony? The babies take a dump in the font?” she snorted, admitting, “I’d probably pay to see that.”
He grimaced, conceding, “No. I’ve never seen them do that, but they will after. They cry too.”
“Yeah. I know,” she told him, in the tone she used when she was trying to reassure him. “Babies do a lot of that. Crying, pissing, shitting, eating. Then they get interesting.”
“Oh, I know that too,” Devon confirmed. “I just wasn’t sure if you did.”
“Did what?”
“Knew they got interesting.”
She scowled at him. “Wait, I’m confused.” She went so far as to rub her temple, an act that had her hand shifting from his stomach and moving away—something he didn’t like. He immediately reached for her other hand and bridged their fingers.
“He’s scared you’re going to run away. Again.” Andrei huffed and rolled over away from them. “How many times, Devon? She isn’t going anywhere.”
“That much of a sure bet, am I?” Sascha said, but even Devon heard the teasing note in her voice.
Andrei grunted then yawned. They were all bound to be feeling the effects of the jet lag, but he and Andrei were going to be a lot more tired than the others… Sascha really could be insatiable sometimes. Apparently dropping huge bombshells made her horny. Who knew?
“Don’t make it worse,” Andrei warned, squinting at them over his shoulder. “He’s already scared you’re leaving us because you’re a billionaire.”
She stilled. “Why would you think that? And I’m not a billionaire. Just on paper.”
“Paper counts for a lot,” Devon argued. “Billionaires aren’t like Scrooge McDuck. They don’t have vaults of gold to surf on—”
“How the hell do you know who Scrooge McDuck is?”
Her gawking insulted him. “I watched TV as a child too, you know. I still do. Just not often. But that’s neither here nor there… I’m not worried anymore.”
“Why?” She studied him a second. “What changed?”
“Because you’re pregnant. That means you’re stuck with us.”
She snorted. “You don’t have to sound so satisfied about it.”
His grin, he’d admit, was definitely smug. “Why not? I am. Very satisfied. Even if you get sick of us or if we all turn into hermits and bore you to death, you’ll always be linked to us.”
She rolled over onto her side so she could better look at him—her hand came out to tilt his head down, and for a moment, her thumb stroked his chin with a gentleness that had him sighing in contentment. “That matters to you? That I’m always linked to you?”
“Of course.” It was his turn to look confused. “Wasn’t that obvious, Andrei?”
“Da, it was.”
Andrei sounded half asleep and not exactly convincing.
Devon worried his bottom lip with his fingers, but Sascha reached for his wrist and stilled his hand.
“Why does it matter?”
How did he explain it to her?
The others used the words ‘I love you’ like they were the cure for cancer or the solution for world peace.
He had no reason to trust in those words. No reason whatsoever. Those words had been used to hurt, to maim, to scar…
Clearing his throat, he stated, “You know Janna?”
She blinked. “Yes. How could I forget? The Bitchzilla ex who screwed you all over.”
Her wry tone had him laughing a little. “I was happy when she left.”
“You were?” That surprised her. “The others weren’t though, were they?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Sawyer was really cut up about it. Her betrayal and everything. Really fell for her. The other women who…” He wafted a hand between them. “Did this with us, well, they didn’t make as much of an impact because of Janna. We’d prepared ourselves to be hurt. Me included, though it was to a lesser extent.”
“Why are you telling me this?” she asked gently.
“I’m trying to make you understand something.”
“Well, get on with it,” Andrei grumbled. “Some of us are trying to sleep, dammit, and we don’t want to hear about things no man should talk about to his partner.”
Sascha elbowed him in the back. “Shut up, you. You can always go in another room.”
He was silent a second, then he huffed. “I’m shutting up.”
Devon’s lips twitched at Andrei’s easy capitulation. “In all these years, I’ve never met a woman who made me wish I believed ‘I love you’ was the cure all.” He ducked his head, shifting his gaze from hers. “I want to tie you to us in every way I can, Sascha. I can give you the words, because they mean something to you. But to me, they’re not enough.”
Her frown was slowly clearing. “I understand.”
“I highly doubt it,” Devon answered glumly. “Still, I can try.”
“You need to show me how you feel because the words aren’t enough for you.” She snorted. “I can keep up with this. I’m not that slow.”
He smirked, reached over to trace her narrowed eyes—he’d pissed her off.
“Good.” Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to her lips. “The baby is a link I’ll always be grateful for. One that, no matter what we do—and we’re men so we’re capable of a lot of stupidity, even Sean—will always bind us together. Always remind us of how we felt at this moment. On this vacation when you told us we were truly becoming a family. Thank you for giving that to us.”
He felt as well as saw her smile. “It was a happy accident.”
“Sometimes, things happen for a reason,” he countered. “We need this.”
“Don’t you think it’s too soon?”
He shrugged. “Maybe. Some people need time, Sascha. We’re not them. When you know what you need, and that answer is right in front of you, why delay?”
“We’re going to be buried in diapers before I even have a chance to bring out the sexy lingerie.”
Devon grinned. “We can afford a nanny to change the nappies. And we have to teach the baby proper English. None of this American stuff. Diapers,” he scoffed.
“I refuse to use the word ‘nappy,’” Sascha retorted.
He shrugged. “You can’t stop me from teaching him only British English.”
She pressed her nose to his. “And you can’t stop me from teaching him American English.”
“True.” He grunted, whined, “He’s English!”
“Stop whining,” she teased. “And you don’t know, he might be a she.”
“I’d prefer a boy. Less of a worry,” he said simply.
She chuckled. “I’ll just have a word with my embryo, Devon. Let’s see if I can put a word in for you.”
He eyed her askance. “You know that won’t work, don’t you?” Sometimes, he couldn’t tell when she was joking.
“Devon! Enough is enough
!” Andrei burst, sitting up and glowering at him. “Some of us are trying to sleep!” he repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.
Devon rolled his eyes than curved his arms around Sascha, hauling her against his chest and pressing her closer by resting his hands on her ass.
She snuggled into him, and he smiled, utterly at peace with his world for once.
The baby had been a surprise. He’d miscalculated that particular likelihood. Still, it couldn’t have worked out better.
They’d deny it all they wanted, but he knew his friends were relieved about the baby.
They were too accustomed to being left, being abandoned when things got complicated. Though they said ‘I love you’ and meant it, it was hard sometimes to hear those words in return and believe them. Believe in them and the woman who uttered them.
When a man had been taught a woman’s word meant very little, it took a long time to combat that.
Sascha had time, and now she was with child, they had no reason to fear she’d leave.
Devon knew he could cope with anything this world could throw at him. Hadn’t he lost his mother? Hadn’t he seen her body in a bath of her own blood?
But he knew, point blank, he couldn’t be in a world without Sascha.
His lips curved into a smile—maybe those words would substitute an ‘I love you’, he asked himself.
He’d have to give it a try in the morning.
The End
Author’s Note:
Guys, it’s been a wild ride. :D
I really, REALLY hope you loved Devon’s side of the tale as much as I loved writing it. Sascha… ugh, could she be any luckier with those guys at her side? I’m jealous myself!
So, a few things.
Firstly, if you’d like more from the Quintessence family, drop me a line. I might be persuaded to do a holiday short. Nudge nudge. Wink Wink. Email me at [email protected]!
Secondly, if you haven’t signed up for my newsletter, please do it now. There’s a great free read involved and you can keep up to date with the random shit I have to tell you. Ha! Join up here: www.serenaakeroyd.com/newsletter or you can even join my Facebook group here. You really want to keep up to date because I have so many releases coming out this year, you’ll need my newsletter to remind you! :D
Thirdly, if you loved the gang, please consider leaving a review. I’d really appreciate it. Hugs and kisses and a freakin’ snog too! :P
Fourthly, and lastly—jeez, don’t I ever shut up?—see below for my latest release!!! Another Reverse Harem with two Princes and a Duke!! Talk about getting ready for the Royal Wedding, am I right?
You can grab Perry and Her Princes on May 8th but it’s also available on pre-order! Here!
THANK YOU FOR READING <3
It means the world.
PERRY AND HER PRINCES
Perry’s lineage constitutes an only God knows how many times ‘great’ grandfather who settled in Tennessee after the potato famine in Ireland, and a great grandmother who escaped the Nazis before the war.
She’s farmer stock. And has the hips to prove it.
Still, lineage doesn’t mean much when it comes to friends. Especially college friends. So, when a Prince of Veronia comes to Boston, attends her college, and just happens to make her acquaintance, who’s she to judge when a friendship is born?
And who’s to question why, when years later, they’re more like family than anything else?
Even if that’s way more platonic than she’d like.
She’d hump George DeSauvier six ways ‘til Sunday if he’d let her, but, as far as she can tell, he only sees her as a ‘chum’.
Little does she know.
George DeSauvier is the second in line to the throne of Veronia, a tiny country, nestled between Italy, France, and Austria. Being a royal means nothing to him, not with the price it comes at, but to his brother? The heir? It’s everything.
Back in the day, Edward DeSauvier had been a wild child, and together, they’d discovered they had a penchant for sharing the women they bedded.
All these years later, George has decided it’s time to start up that little habit of theirs again.
With Perry in the middle.
Trouble is, Perry doesn’t even know George wants her. Never mind his brother.
And when a cousin of theirs, Xavier, accidentally gets thrown into the mix, Perry’s suddenly up to her eyeballs in DeSauvier royals.
It’s a hard life for some being surrounded by regal hunks, that is, of course, until the doodah hits the fan, and anti-Royal sentiment reaches a peak in Veronia once more.
Will fear of loss make Perry take the next step into a very complicated future? Or, will the sheer need she feels for three very different men be all that’s required…?
Find out in PERRY AND HER PRINCES.
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A Menage Made on Madison
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Loved by Them: A Reverse Harem Romance (Quintessence Book 5) Page 18